Group warns of a long fight against anti-Semitic chanting at football grounds

The anti-racism group behind an attempt to stop anti-Semitic songs in football has warned that their campaign may take decades to have an effect after Tottenham fans defied them by singing 'Yid' chants during Wednesday's north London derby.

Spurs club captain Ledley King was among a number of players to lend his support to Kick It Out's 'Y-word' campaign, which was launched with a powerful and evocative video screening in London last week.

Loud and proud: Tottenham fans proud to chant 'Yids'

The campaign is designed to stop anti-Jewish abuse at games and highlight the fact that 'Yid' or 'Yiddo' is a racist term.

Spurs fans, many of whom are Jewish, often proudly call themselves the 'Yid army' as a way of owning the term in the face of abuse from opposition fans.

The club hope the campaign will educate their fans about the history and seriousness of the term, but a large section of Spurs supporters still loudly chanted 'Yids' towards the end of Wednesday's thrilling 3-3 draw with Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

A Kick It Out spokesman admitted that the initiative could take many years to bear fruit.

'We weren't expecting anything to happen other than what did last night,' he said. 'It was never going to happen overnight. It's the beginning of a long education. The fact that it did happen doesn't surprise me.

'I think that we won't see a change in attitude come in this generation of Tottenham fans. It will take years for it to start to work and many Tottenham fans do not agree with what we are trying to achieve.